Well, fellow book lovers, I’m back. It been while and I wanted to say hello and pop on. Its time for me rave and rant about some newfound shows I’ve been watching. 😉 Since I’ve been feeling under the weather recently, I figured lets talk about shows!! My reading has slowed down quite a bit sadly, life likes to keep you on your toes. I’ll start with the more family-friendly options.
Anyway, let’s begin!
~The Mysterious Benedict Society
Genre – Mystery, Adventure, Children
Rating PG for peril
Thoughts –
This book series is one I grew up on and loved wholeheartedly. This kids are so dear to my heart and when I heard they were making a series, I was pumped. Still waiting to watch the last episode. Overall I have been impressed with how well they’ve kept the story intact. Have they changed things? Yes! Have I gotten annoyed? Yes! But if you want something that a fun family friendly mystery this is it!
Likes – First, the costumes are fantastic. The creators set the story in the 5o’s which I think fits quite well with the author’s writing style. The colors are vibrant and pop in the murkiness of the emergency. Plus, Kate’s bucket is spot on!! I do wish they had given her blonde hair and ponytail though. The actors for Reynard Muldoon and Sticky Washington fit so well with how I had envisioned them. Mulligan is hilarious and spot on as well. The Institute has manicured paths that must be kept to. Lastly, the Whisperer! If you’ve read the book, you know what I’m talking about.
Dislikes – A big one for me is Mr. Benedict. Yes, they occasionally show is narcolepsy which I love!! But they’ve changed a few aspects about his character which bug me. In the book, Mr. Benedict was the epitome of calmness and courage. Yet, the series likes to show his craziness and worry. Also, they cut off Mr. Curtain having narcolepsy, which makes no sense. I really wanted to see Mr. Curtain speeding though the hallways on his wheelchair. Ah well! Also not sure why they killed off Sticky’s parents??? Like how does that add anything?? A little miffed they didn’t put the poison scene in, that was one of the best parts and the show didn’t even use it.
I’m starting to get too picky!! Moving on!
Loki
Genre – Superheroes, Villain, Time Travel, Adventure
Rating – TV14 for language and violence
Thoughts –
Of the three Marvel series out so far, this one is my favorite!! All three shows are vastly different, but Loki almost doesn’t even feel like Marvel. Do they mess with his whole character development and death, yep, they do. However we get to see a side of Loki that we haven’t seen before, a softer and kinder side. Albeit at the expense of Loki’s other characteristics. We get to see him learn some valuable lessons like trust, sacrifice, and helping others reach a goal.
Likes – Time travel! Yeah, after Lost, I love finding a well done time travel story line. Mobius! Who knew we needed Owen Wilson in the MCU, but he fits his character so well! Jet skiing! 😉 Sylvie is complicated. You dislike her desire to overthrow anything and everything in her path that remotely relates to to the TVA, but as you find out her reasons, she does grow on you. I’m still not sure what I think of the romance!? I mean technically they are both Loki’s so not sure how that will work out, but at the same time, Sylvie and Loki are different.
Dislikes – Not much to dislike here, the show can be odd, complex, and dark at times. At times the pacing felt off and slow. The time keeper at the end left more questions then answers and I cannot understand where he fits in MCU. There was some language, but I don’t remember anything blatant.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Genre – Cops, Humor, Drama
Rating – TV14 for crude jokes, language, & innuendo
Thoughts –
I’ve seen this show pop up a lot and several people I know have compared to Psych and Parks & Rec. Now, I’m only in season 2, but so far I like it. Its goofy and funny. Jake is soo similar to Shawn, except he is an actual cop who loves catching bad guys and cracks jokes as he does it. I don’t agree with some of the things the show stands for, but it makes for a fun show about a precinct that turns into a family. I’ll be honest, this show makes me laugh, hard!
Likes – Boyle! Jake! Terry, and of course Rosa! All these characters have their quirks and idiosyncrasies, but they are also lovable. Amy is sweet, but a bit over the top for my taste. I love the way Jake is so willing to step in and help a friend in need, even if its wedding planning. 😉 Terry puts his wife and kids first and truly wants what is best for them. Boyle is clumsy and nerdy, which I relate to, and needs a big hug. Even the captain has wisdom to share with his crew on occasion.
Dislikes
Gina – there are times when I want to like her, and then she does something. I think part of it is her work ethic. I cannot imagine, spending work time to primp and do make-up. Crass Humor – so yeah, its in there, mostly from Jake, Gina, and occasionally Rosa. We hear talk of who is doing who or who likes who quite a bit. Also, the Captain is gay, so they reference his husband. Its sad that this has become the normal on shows these days.
And the final one
Lupin!
Lupin
Genre – Mystery, Heist, Revenge
Rating – MA for strong language and suicide
Thoughts –
A good friend of mine told me about Lupin and absolutely loved it. She compared it to Sherlock, one of my top 5 favorite shows, so I figured why not give it a try. Lupin tells the story of Assane Diop a gentleman thief who is seeking to restore his father’s tarnished name. To do so he must take down a tricky and sneaky man named Hubert Pellegrini.
Likes – Assane is a conflicted hero, he steals from the rich and performs these incredible heists, but he is in turmoil over his dad being framed for a crime he didn’t commit and then dying shortly after. Also, Assane has a best friend named Benjamin who helps him along. I love their interactions and friendship; they’ve know each other since childhood. We also meet Assane’s family- ex-wife Claire and son Raoul. For each heist or con, we see it from how it appears to go down, and then we get the behind-the-scenes glimpse into how Assane pulled them off, which I love!! We do see that despite his vendetta against Pellegrini, Assane loves his family and wants to keep them safe.
Dislikes – Really, I only have one, the language. The first part has a lot!! You don’t need to use foul language to get your point across constantly. However, by the second part, it was much better. Also, there is violence thrown in, we see an suicide which as well as a kidnapping.
Conclusion –
So these are some of the shows I’ve been watching and enjoying! Almost all of these have characters growing or changing. We see villains save the world by willingly sacrificing something. We see kids being courageous and standing firm in the midst of a wave of danger. And a son who so wants to right the wrongs done in his past, that he loses a bit of himself as he faces his enemy. These are just a few things that stuck out to me!
Now over to you! Have you seen any of these shows? Do you have a favorite character? What have you been watching lately? Can’t wait to hear from you!
Anna
